System Restore Accuracy

:hello:

I am setting up a virtual installation of XP pro on MS's Virtual PC to evaluate eAcceleration products. I have everything loaded and I am ready to install eAcceleration products, but before I do so, I would have a question...

How accurate are restore points? Can malware infect a previous restore point, or are they write protected? Would I be ok to create a restore point, load and test malware, and go back to the restore point to start all over?

I doubt eAcceleration touches restore points, but I think this would be good to know for the future so I don't need to reformat the OS each time I evaluate something.

Thanks!


edit: seems system restore doesn't work the way I thought it did. hmmm.

Quote:

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Can malware infect a previous restore point, or are they write protected?

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Interesting question. A malware that destroy previous "safe points" so when you "restore", it will restore malware too. I would like to know if it is possible too :)

Soda, there seems to be a lack of information on just what 'System Restore' does and how it does it.

It seems that the 'SR' function does not handle patches all that well and the experts recommend that if you use the restore function, that you reapply all patches.

From the little hard data I did find on this, it seems that 'SR' mainly deals with rolling back the registry to a previous state. I would think that making backups of your registry would do the same thing, but as I can't find anything that details just what "System Restore' does.....I can't say.

Restore Point save the registry files and some important system file. All registry? What files? That is still unknow.